


Those Who Remain

by Onagrey



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Recovery, near drowning mention, will add tags as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-06 14:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11602644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onagrey/pseuds/Onagrey
Summary: Link is more hurt than he's letting on. He believes help is something he doesn't deserve. Sidon wants to prove him wrong.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story for this pairing. I really haven't written anything in some time, so I hope this is alright. Happy reading!

A clear blue sky greeted Link as he opened his eyes. His mind was hazy and his body felt heavy as he sat up, unsure of where he was. It took him a moment to realize he was on a sandy shore, that much he could tell as he looked at his surroundings. Water lapped at his bare feet and the sun shining overhead warmed his skin, but that did not seem to quell his growing unease.

"You're awake." Link heard a soft, gentle voice.

It seemed to come from every direction at once, but as Link gathered his bearings he could just barely make out glimmering red scales in the body of water in front of him.

"Mipha?" Link said, eyes wide as he looked upon the solid form of the Zora princess.

"Are you alright?" Mipha called, swimming closer to shore when Link failed to respond.

Link rubbed at his eyes, trembling as Mipha stepped on to the shore. He could almost imagine her surrounded by an ethereal blue aura, as she had been when he saw her ghostly form. When she stood beside him, with concern clearly marking her features, Link knew he was not speaking to a ghost.

"I—I'm fine." Link knew he didn't sound fine, and by the looks of Mipha's frown she did not believe him.

"You're shaking." Mipha said as she crouched down next to Link. "Have I done something to upset you?"

"No!" Link blurted, body stiffening at even the thought that Mipha would blame herself for his odd behavior. "A nightmare woke me up. That's all."

Link wondered if what he could remember had all been a nightmare. The rise of Calamity Ganon. Waking up in a cold, dark cave to find that the champions had all perished and that Zelda had kept Ganon from destroying Hyrule for one-hundred years. Had that all been one horriblly long nightmare?

_‘What if it was a vision? I can still save them!’_ Link thought, heart hammering so loudly he swore Mipha could hear it too. _‘No one has to die if I can prepare everyone for what's to come.’_

"We need to go!" Link shouted, springing up and hastily collecting his gear off the sandy shore. He barely registered that he was just clad in his shorts, but Link was never embarrassed to show some skin around Mipha. They had known each other too long for that.

"Link, you’re concerning me." Mipha tried to reason, but Link seemed utterly lost to his own thoughts. As Link continued to gather his belongings Mipha laid a gently hand on his shoulder. Her touch stopped Link in his tracks.

"I'm sorry. I don’t mean to scare you, but we need to find Zelda. There’s something I need to tell her." Link wished he could elaborate, but he didn't want concern Mipha any more than she already was.

"Alright. I'm sure Zelda is still resting comfortably in my room after the long journey from Hyrule Castle. We'll get back to the domain faster if we swim." The hand Mipha had placed on Link's shoulder took hold of his hand, leading him into the water. "Just hold on tight, and remember to kick your feet."

Link chuckled at her light teasing, glad that she didn't question his motives. "I promise once we can get to Zelda I'll tell you everything."

Mipha nodded as she led them to what Link could finally confirm was a river. They were somewhere around the Zodobon Highlands that Link couldn’t quite place, but that wasn't of importance to him at the moment. He held on tightly as they dove into the river. Mipha was a fast swimmer even as she pulled Link along. He trusted her completely to lead the way, but he grew concerned when it seemed like they should have arrived at their destination. Link tried to call to the Mipha when she brought them up for some much needed air, but they were soon back under the water before Link could voice his concerns. He narrowly managed to get his lungs full of air. They were under the water for a long period of time, Link barely holding his mouth shut when Mipha finally brought him up once more for air.

"Mipha!" Link sputtered, gasping as he tried to take in as much oxygen as he could. He wiped the water from his eyes, and was alarmed to find that Mipha had let go of his hand. Link called to her frantically, turning every which way in the water, but he could not catch sight of the Zora princess.

The unease Link had felt early seemed to return ten-fold with Mipha's disappearance.

_‘When did I let go of her? I couldn’t have let go.’_ Link thought, slowly making his way back to shore with practiced strokes. He hoped to spot her from the safety of land, but as he continued to swim the shore seemed to grow farther and farther from sight. Link tried not to panic, but his paddling soon became erratic, his breathing labored as he desperately tried to reach the shore.

_‘No, no, no!’_ He thought as he felt himself tire. Link could barely hold his head above water, forgoing paddling forward all together in order to keep himself afloat.

"Mipha! Where are you?" He called again desperately. Link felt relieved when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his midsection, giving him a much-needed reprieve from treading water. He gratefully took in much needed air, but just when he was about to turn and question Mipha he was suddenly pulled under the waters surface.

It took all of Link's will to keep from sucking in water, thrashing in his captors grip as he fought desperately to reach the surface again. He could see the clear waters surface above disappearing at an alarming rate. Link strained to keep his mouth shut as his lungs burned unbearable from the lack of oxygen. Pain radiated from his chest outward, and Link could hold out no longer has he sucked water into his lungs. With that first breath the entity pulling Link down seemed to let go.

' _Goddesses help me!’_ Link thought desperately, knowing with each breath he took water would continue to fill his lungs. His thoughts were hopelessly scattered as he tried to swim back up, but he only seemed to sink. Link's vision was tunneling, but that seemed to make little difference with very little light reaching water at such a low depth. His arms felt heavy even as they floated above his head, and before long Link's vision was pitch black. His body twitched in a vain attempt to take in anything that wasn’t water.

_Link..._

His mind was sluggish to realize that Mipha had called his name.

_You promised._

_You promised...but you let me die._

_‘Mipha!’_ Link thought desperately, struggling to stay conscious.

_I waited for so long, but you never came._

_It's your fault we all died._

Mipha's voice was gently, always sounding so kind, but her words were cutting into Link like no sword ever had.

_They hate you._

_They don't trust you._

_They will never trust you._

Her words echoed in his head, and he wanted nothing more than for it to be over.

_‘Please.’_ Link thought. _‘Please just let me die.’_

His lungs were full of water. Link wasn't struggling any more. The water around him felt warm and cold all at once.

"Link!" A new voice called, much deeper and more desperately than Mipha's.

_‘No more.’_ Link thought. _‘Let this be over.’_

"Wake up! Link!" The voice sounded far away.

Link could faintly feel someone grab him by the shoulders, but he didn't struggle.

"Please Link! You can't give up!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Please Link! You can't give up!" The voice boomed in his mind suddenly, much louder than Mipha's had ever been.

Link's eyes flew open, blurry with water as he coughed violently. Water streamed out of his mouth even as he tried to take in some much-needed air. Link could feel someone trying to lift him, but he lashed out. He was afraid the water would pull him under. 

"I'm sorry. So, so sorry." Link gasped. 

"You're alright now. Link please, just focus on your breaths. " The voice that had called to him said soothingly, much closer now than it had been before. 

Link tried to take in each breath more slowly than the last, and surely enough that seemed to bring him down from his panic. He felt light headed, but even still Link tried take stock of his surroundings with his eyes blurry with water. Link could feel he was sat upon cold stone, slick with the water he was pulled from. Someone warm was holding him close, and while his mind screamed at him to get away his body would not cooperate. When his eyes finally began to clear Link could make out that he was in a cave of sorts. The walls were lined with intricate carvings in brilliantly blue luminous stone.

_Zora's...domain?_ Link's mind supplied sluggishly as he finally looked up at the person holding him

"Sidon?" Link said, voice raspy.

The Zora prince nodded silently, the concern on his face ebbing away slightly now that Link had finally recognized him. 

"I'm sorry." Sidon said, letting Link to sit up on his own. "I was only gone for a moment, but I shouldn't have left you unattended."

Even holding himself up proved quite difficult as Link held on to Sidon for support. "Unattended?" 

Link was confused, until he noticed the small pool of water just a couple feet away. The water seemed to glow, and it bubbled like a hot spring.  

"After you calmed Vah Ruta you materialized at the entrance to the domain. You gave Rivan and his daughter quite the fright," Sidon began, "but it was clear you were hurt and extremely exhausted. By the time I arrived with our best healers you were unconscious. They thought it best to place you in a healing pool."

"How long have I been out?" Link cut in, suddenly feeling ill.

Sidon was quite for a moment. "It's been four days." 

"F-four days?!" Link exclaimed, a wave of panic washing over him. "I need to leave. I have to free the others. I-"

"Link." Sidon said, voice stern and leaving little room for interruption "You needed those days to recover. Every time you seemed to wake you were delirious. I couldn’t let you leave until you were well."

Link's panic slowly ebbed away to feelings of shame at his sudden outburst. Sidon was just trying to make sure that he wouldn't have run off to get himself killed. 

"You're right. I'm sorry." 

Sidon was still concerned, never having seen Link so distressed. "No need to apologize my friend. I just want to help you recover. Let's start by getting you to bed. The time spent in the healing pool did well for your wounds, but you need proper rest."    

Link nodded as Sidon helped him stand. His legs were shaky, and he leaned heavily on Sidon for support. That was when he noticed that he was naked. 

"Um...where are my clothes?" Link stammered, his face burning with embarrassment as they finally made it to the bed. 

"Oh, the healers removed your clothes in order to get a better look at your injuries. Once you're settled I'll go and get them for you." Sidon said, not fazed one bit by Link's nudity. 

"Thank you." Link said as he sat down at the edge of the bed. His breathing was a bit labored from the short walk, and he found that with each breath his chest flared with pain. It was a reaction that didn't get past Sidon. 

"I'll bring you something for the pain. Your time spent in the pool should have mostly healed your fractured ribs, but residual pain was to be expected." Sidon explained as he helped Link get situated.

 Once he made sure Link was comfortable Sidon made his way over to a table covered in an assortment of vials that held variously colored liquids. He wasn't hesitant in picking up a small vial of red liquid. 

"This will relieve the pain for a couple of hours." Sidon said as he placed the potion in Link's hands. "I'll be right back with your gear. Don't get any ideas about running off while I'm gone."

"I don't think I'd get very far." Link replied. He knew fully well that he was in no condition to travel, and by the look of Sidon's grin Link knew the Zora was only teasing. It helped to lighten the mood a bit. 

Link watched Sidon slip out of the room, the door clicking quietly as it was closed. He looked around the room once more, no longer disoriented by near drowning and a hellish nightmare. The walls were indeed carved out of luminous stone, as he had previously observed, but the scene depicted on the walls was one Link was not familiar with. He noticed the healing pool he was pulled from bubbling away, luminescent water reminding him of the water from the Shrine of Resurrection. Trying not to let his thoughts linger on the shrine, Link noticed a desk not too far from the table of assorted vials. He could make out a stack of books and papers strewn about on it's surface, but he couldn’t quite decipher what was written on the papers. 

_Was Sidon watching over me the entire time?_ Link wondered as his eyes fell upon the small vial in his hands. He ran his fingers over the smooth glass before he uncorked the bottle. The liquid inside smelled faintly of berries as Link brought the bottle to his lips. He gagged with the first gulp.  

"Dear goddesses this is horrible!" Link groaned.

"I've heard the best medicine is always the most bitter." Sidon said as he entered the room once more, grinning as he watched Link chug the rest of the potion.

Even as he quelled the growing nausea from the bitter taste Link could feel the potion slowly coming into effect. His mouth tingled from the liquid, and his chest no longer hurt with each breath. Link's hyperawareness also seemed to vanish. He didn't even notice when Sidon set his clothes down at the foot of the bed, or when the Zora had pulled up a chair to sit at his bedside. 

"I feel really good now." Link said. His mouth felt like it was full of cotton and his eyes felt heavy. 

"I'm glad to hear that." Sidon looked relieved, but there were traces of concern that marked his features still. Link hadn't known Sidon for very long, but there were two things about the prince that he picked up on rather quickly: Sidon made anyone and everyone he met feel uplifted and important, and his tail find was a big tell when it came to how he was feeling. Link noticed that it was curled slightly at the tips, a big sign that there was something on Sidon's mind. 

"Are you alright Sidon?" Link slurred, sitting up straight now that his body didn't protest the action.

Sidon looked startled. "I'm fine."

"You sure? I mean, you look like someone kicked your puppy." 

Sidon was silent at Link's response for a while, debating on whether  he should tell Link what was really troubling him. "I feel ashamed. For nearly letting you drown. If I had been gone any longer..." Sidon turned away from Link, hardly able to bear the thought of what could have happened. 

"You weren't too late though!" Link exclaimed, grabbing Sidon's hands where they were clenched tightly around his knees. He nearly fell out of the bed in the process, but Sidon was quick to steady the wobbly Hylian. "See! Even now you're watching out for me." 

Sidon's mouth opened to respond, but Link fixed him with a look. _Don't you dare say another self-_ _deprecating_ _thing about yourself, or so_ _help me!_

Instead of saying another word Sidon helped Link lay back down. 

"I'm glad you were there for me Sidon. Now, and after I freed Ruta." Link murmured as he held onto Sidon's hand. A yawn escaped him as he settled further into the mattress. "You're a good friend." 

Sidon could feel Link feebly squeezing his hand. Reassuring him even over the effects of the potion that he meant every word he spoke. Sidon gently squeezed Link's hand in return.

"Get some sleep, Link. You deserve it." Sidon said quietly, adjusting his seat so he was closer to Link's bedside. He still held on to Link's hand. 

Link seemed to struggle against sleeps embrace. " 'M not sleepy..." 

Sidon couldn’t help his smile. _Stubborn even in the face of the inevitable._ He thought as he watched Link finally give in and close his eyes. 

It wasn't long until Link's breathing evened out, and his mind finally settling into a dreamless slumber. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm in love with the HC of Sidon showing emotion with his tail fin. So cute x) Also I had this story going in one direction, and by the end of this chapter it has completely changed course. It might be a bit of a slow burn?


End file.
